COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A newspaper analysis has found that early voting in Ohio hasn't led to more votes being cast.

The Columbus Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1iAIKII ) analyzed the vote totals for the past three presidential elections. Numbers showed that turnout in the 2012 race — when Ohioans arguably had the most opportunities in state history to vote early — was lower than the 2004 election when there was no early voting.

Turnout in 2008 — the first election for early voting — was about 1 percent higher than in 2004.

Ohio State University political science professor Paul Beck says people who vote early typically are going to vote anyway, so it hasn't boosted the total number.

Being able to vote before election day has become a hot topic in the state since the 2004 race.